Hole-digging machine.



A. W. ENSTROM.

HOLE DIGGING MACHINE.

APPLlcATloN rlLED Nov. 11.1914.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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HOLE DIGGING M APPLLcATIoN HLED Nov. 11. 19.14.

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Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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AUGST W. ENSTROM, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

HOLE-DIGGING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Application filed November 11. 1914. Serial No. 871,523.

T0 all 'wlzom it may (*Onocrn I Be it known that I, AUGUsrW'. ENs'rRoM,a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island. in the countyof Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Hole-Digging Machines, of which the following isa specification, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved hole digging machine, and has forits primary object to provide simple, durable, and 'efficient mechanismfor digging holes in the earth for the reception of fence posts,telegraph poles, and similar' supports.

The invention has for one of its more particular objects to provide animproved mounting for the excavating mechanism which includes an endlesselevator, whereby, as the digging of the hole progresses the material isremoved therefrom.

The'invention has for a further object to provide a digging or cuttingblade fixed upon the lower end of an axially movable spindle, and meansfor mounting or supporting said spindle in operativc connection with thedriving gearing whereby the spindle may assume various. angularpositions without interrupting the drving connection.

The invention has for a further general object to provide a machine ofthe above Character for expeditiously digging holes of a predetermineddepth and excavating the earth therefrom, said machine being inountedupon a suitable Wheel' supported frame, whereby the same may be readilymoved from place to place.

VVith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thenovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in Which,'

Figure 1 1s a side eleva'tlon of a hole dlgging machine constructed 1naccordance wlth `the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a. section taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the lineA- of Fig. 2;and Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is adetail perspective view of the oscillatory bars 19.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates a suitable framemounted upon the front and real' supporting Wheels 6 and 7,

respectively. Upon this truck frame, an engine indicated at 8, which maybe of any approved type, is suitably mounted and seciu-ed. Upon thereal' end of the frame 5 and on opposite sides thereof, the uprights 9are securely bolted at their lower ends, said uprights being braccd bythe truss bars 10. Adjacent to the upper end of each of these uprights,a cross bar V11 is secured, said bars extending longitudinally of themachine. Upon the ends of these bars, transversely extending beams 12are supported. Upon .the uprights 9,,suitablc bearings 13 are secured,in which are journaled shaft Sections 14 and 15, rcspectively. The

shaft section 14 is driven from the engine 8 by a suitable belt 1G andthe two shaft sections are adapted to be connected by means of a clutchindicated at 17, the shiftable element of which is a'ctuated bv asuitable levcr 18. In this manner, itwill be understood that power istransmitted to the outer shaft section 15.

Upon one of the uprights' 9. a pair of horizontally dispose'd U-shapedbars 19 ismounted. The intermediate portion of each of these bars isformed with a curved slot 19' to loosely receive a bolt 20 which isremovably secured in the upright 9. The bars 19 are, therefore, capableof a turning movement upon the respective bolts. 'The purpose of thisparticular mounting of the bars Will be better understood as the natureof the invention and the manner in which the same operates is unfolded.Between the spaced outer ends of each of the bars 19, blocks 21 and 22,respectively, are secured. The block 22, mounted between the ends of theuppermost bar 19, is in the form of a rectangular cast metal loop withinwhich a beveled gear 23 i's arranged.

The Operating spindle or shaft 24 extends through the bearing block 21in the lower bar 19 and also through the upper rcctangular loop or yoke22 and is provided with a longitudinally extending keyway 25 to receivea key on the gear 23. A suitable spacing sleeve26 is arranged betweenthe bearing blocks 21 and 22. The upper rectangular block 22 isintegrally cast from the arms of the yoke member 27, the intermediateportion of which provides a support for the outer end of the shaftsection 15, a suitable bearing cap extending over said shaft and beingsecured to the yoke member. Upon the outer end of this shaft section, abeveled gearv 28 is fixed, for .meshing engagementv The opposed parallelportions of this frame are provided with suitable bearings in which theends of a shaft 34 are journaled. Upon this shaft asprocket wheel 3G isfixed. One

face of `.this wheel is provided with beV-.

eled gear teeth 37.with which the teeth of a beveled gear 38 fixed uponthe Vertical shaft :24, engage. `The ends of an outwardly projectinglU-shaped bar 39 are secured upon -zthe opposite ends of the frame 33 byVertical bolts 40, the upper ends of which are formed intozeyes 41.Below the frame 33, the shaft 24 extends through a tubular casing 42,the upper end of said casing being split to provide oppositely disposeda-ttaching lates thereon which are secured to the ff'ame. The lower endof this casing is similarly splitand secured to a plate 43 which is pro-Vided with an upstanding bearing 44, inwardly of the shaft casing. Inthis bearing, an arbor is journaled, upon which a 'sprocket wheel 45 issecured. A chain 46 traverses this sprocket wheel and the upper sprocketwheel 3G and upon said chain a plura'lity of spaced buckets 47 are'suitably secured. A collar l48 is secured upon the Vertical shaft 24above the gear 38 by means of a suitable set screw, and a ,similarcollar 49 is likewise secured upon the lowerend of said shaftimmediately beneath the bearing plate 43. By means of these collars, theshaft is held against longitudinal shifting movement with relation tothe casing 42 through which it extends. Upon the lower end of the shaft24,11 sleeve or hub member 50 is keyed, and

in this sleeve, the digging blade or tool 51 is remoV-ably secured bymeans of the set screw A series of these blades may be pro- Vided -foruse in the machine, and they are preferably of triangular shape or form,as

shown. horizontally disposed cuttig blade 51' 1s also carried by themember 50 and in the operation of the machine, cuts f is secured. Thisplate,

through the earth so-that a hole of the desired 'diameter will beformed. Upon the lower end of the Vertical guide bar 30, a downwardlyand inwardly inclined plate 53 when the machine is in operatlon, isdisposed at the edge of the hole or excavation and serVes to preventstones or large clods of earth falling into lthe same and upon theelevator buckets,

thereby obviating liability of serious injury to the latter.

To each of the eye bolts 40, one end of a rope or-other -flexibleelement 54' is secured, and these ropes pass around guide sheaves orpulleys 55 which are mounted upon the opposite ends of the transversebeams 12. To the other ends of said ropes, weights 56 are attached, saidweights eounterbalaneing the weight of the Operating mechanism justdescribed `and normally holding the same against gravity movement uponthe Vertical guide bar 30.

lea ring the foregoing description in mind, the operation of the machinewill be understood as follows: After a suitable digging blade has beenconnected to the lower end of the shaft or spindle 24 to produce anexcavation of the desired diameter, the engine is set in operation. Bysimply grasping the outwardly projecting bar 39 and forcing itdownwardly, the shaft 24 will be lowered and the digging blade 51engaged with the ground. The earth which is excavated by this blade` isreceived in the several buckets upon the elevating 'chain 46, as thebuckets move around the lower sprocket wheel 45, the said earth beingdumped or discharged from said buckets at the upper end of the elevator,as will be readily understood. As the work progresses and the holeincreases in depth, the operator continues to lower or force downwardlyupon the shaft 24. In this manner, it will be apparent that the hole forthe reception of the post may be Very quickly dug and the earth removedtherefrom. T he entire mechanism may be easily and quickly 'removed fromthe supporting truck and the engine employed for other purposes bysimply removing the bolts which connect the U-shaped bars 19 to theupright 9, and also removing the bolts which secure the arms 29 to saiduprights. If it is not desired to remove the digging mechanism, theshaft section 15 may be readily disconnected from the section 14 by theoperator shifting the clutch, and another belt connected to the engineshaft and extended' rearwardly between the uprights to the machine whichit is desiredto operate. The pivotal mounting of the bars 19 permits ofthe use of the machine upon uneven ground, the Vertical Operating shaft,notwithstanding such unevenness of the ground, still maintaining itstrue Vertical position.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation, andseveral advantages of the invention will bereadily understood. Themachine may be readily moved by one man from place to place, and holesof Various depths expeditiously dug in the ground to receive telegraphor telephone, posts, fence posts, or any `will, therefore, beappreciated that the machine can be manufactured at smallcost.

lVhile I have 'shown and described the preferred construction andarrangement of the several elements employed, the device is,nerertheless, suscep'tible of considerable modification therein, and I,therefore, reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimatechanges as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the in-Yention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim andsecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a supporting frame, spacedoscillatory bars mountedvin said frame, bearings swiveled upon saidbars, a shaft axially movable through said bearings, a bevel gearmounted in one of the bearings and keyed upon said shaft, a powertransmission shaft mount'ed in the swiveled bearing and provided with agear engaging said bevel gear, means for guiding the `shaft in itsvertical movement with respect to the frame, an elevator carried by saidshaft in its 'Vertical movement, said elevator being geared to the shaftand driven thereby, and counterbalancing means yieldingly holding theshaft and the elevator against downward movement with respect to theframe.

2. In a machine of the character described, a supporting frame, a shaftbearing mounted upon the frame fo'r angular movement with respectthereto, a shaft mo-unted for rotation and aXial movement in said bear-111g. a casing through which said shaft eX- tends, a'stationary slottedguide fiXed to the frame, means on the casingy movable in said guide butpermitting of the swinging movement of the shaft and the casing, and anelevator mounted upon said casing and movable with the same and theshaft.

3. In a machine of the Character described, a supporting frame, ahorizontally disposed U-shaped bar mounted for oscillatory movement uponthe frame, a bearing member swiveled between the ends of said bar, alvertically disposed shaft axially movable through the bearing member, agear mounted in the bearing member and keyed upon said shaft, a powertransmission shaft mounted in said bearing member and provided with agear meshing with said first named gear, a casing on said shaft, meansfor preventing axial movement of the casing with respect to the shaft, astationar guide fixed to the frame, means secured upon the upper end ofsaid casing engaged in said guide, an elevator mounted upon the casingand geared to said shaft, and means connected to the upper end of saidcasing and normally holding the same and the shaft in an .elevatedposition. 4. In a machine of the Character described, a supportingframe, a shaft bearing mounted upon the frame for angular movement withrespect thereto, a shaft mounted for rotation and axial movement in saidbearing, a casing through which said shaft eX- tends, means forpreventing axial movement of the shaft with respect to said casing, astationary guide on the frame, means fixed to the upper end of thecasing loosely engaged in said guide to permit of the swinging movementof the shaft and the casing andalso their Vertical movement with respectto the frame, an elevatormounted upon said casing for Vertical movementtherewith, fiexible elements connected to the casing, guide means forsaid elements, and weights attached to said elements to counterbalancethe casing and associated parts and yieldingly hold the same againstVertical movement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflixmy signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

AUGUST VV. ENSTROM.

Witnesses: LILLIAN M. DEIsENRo'rH, K. T. ANDERsoN.

